Press Releases, 5/16/2018 | Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development to Stockholm

Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen will meet Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin and Minister for EU Affairs and Trade Ann Linde in Stockholm on Thursday 17 May.

"Sweden is our close partner both in development cooperation and trade policy matters. We have many common trade policy interests, for example as concerns defending the rules-based trading system," says Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen.

At the meeting with Minister Lövin, the Ministers will discuss, among other things, the external financing instruments of the EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) for 2021–2027, on which the EU countries' foreign ministers will exchange views next week. The Ministers will also exchange opinions on cooperation in development policy in matters concerning the promotion of women's sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR rights).

Ministers Linde and Virolainen will discuss, for example the questions on the agenda of the meeting of EU trade ministers next week. In addition to the trade relations between the United States and the EU and the steel and aluminium tariffs, they will discuss for example the EU's ongoing trade negotiations and the phase and impacts of the UK withdrawal from the EU.

In addition to the ministerial meetings, Virolainen will open the first Finnish Balmuir Brand Store abroad, located in Stockholm.